Material-handling apparatus



Jan. 4, 1966 c. F. BEAMER 3,227,326

MATERIAL-HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 9, 1962 INVENTOR CARL F. BEAMER ATToRNn/ United States Patent 3,227,326 MATERIAL-HANDLING APPARATUS Carl F. Reamer, 3426 S. Webster St., Fort Wayne, Ind. Filed Oct. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 229,417 2 Claims. (Cl. 222328) This invention relates to a material-handling apparatus and more particularly an apparatus which is usable for pumping a substantial variety of materials including suspensions, slurries, viscous materials such as liquid plastics, molasses and the like. The invention is not limited to the type of material whichis conveyed under pressure but it is essential that the material be flowable, i.e., pumpable under pressure.

In many materials handling apparatus having a pump or other pressure producingmeans, the apparatus is restricted in its application to materials which can be conveyed under pressure without clogging or developing some other inability to impart motive force onthe material. This limitation of most prior art apparatus tends to make the apparatus unduly limited in application and, therefore, restricts its utility and value.

The present invention proposes a material-handling apparatus which is capable of usage in combinationwith a substantial range in the kind of materials transferred and in the viscosity of materials handled. Thus, the same apparatus is usable with slurries and suspensions, and with liquids ranging in viscosity from heavy oil to light paint. The apparatus is thus more adaptable and, therefore, its value is increased.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a material-handling apparatus which includes a Moineau type pump in combination with a supply system and an outlet system with which a wide variety of materials are pumpable under pressure and can be distributed from a storage at a preselected rate and pressure.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a Moineau type pump which is driven by a power source having a driving connection which includes a universal joint so that the rotor of the pump can move angularly to whatever position is required.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a materials-handling apparatus in which air can be mixed with the flow of pumped material to provide mixing of the material during the pumping operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a pump adapted for pumping a substantial variety of materials, and including a regulating device by which the discharge pressure of the material is maintained at a predetermined maximum Value. Related to this object is the provision of adjusting means in which the upper limit of pressure can be regulated in'value.

An overall object of the present invention is to provide a vertically mounted material-handling apparatus comprised of inlet, pump and discharge elements which can readily be mounted and demounted from a standard container having the material intended for conveyance.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description wherein a selected embodiment of the invention is set forth in detail to illustrate the invention. The description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates an elevational view, a container and the apparatus for conveying material under pressure, the container and portions of the pump unit being broken away to illustrate details of the construction.

There is mounted on a standard five-gallon can 10 a materials-handling apparatus designated generally by reference numeral 12, the mounting being accomplished by a collar 14 having clamps 16 which are tightened by wing nuts 18 to the lip 20 of can 10. The clamping 3,227,326 Patented Jan. 4, 1966 ice ' arrangement does not form an essential part of the present invention.

The collar 14 is welded at 22 to housing 24 having an upper plate 26 which vertically supports an electrical motor or the like 28. The outlet of'the motor 28 is connected to a drive shaft 30 having a universal coupling 32 which permits angular movement of shaft 30. The shaft is fastened to a chrome steel pump rotor 34 of double flight helical construction and has a pitch approximately corresponding with the complementary pitch of a passage 36 within a resilient rubber sleeve 38 forming a stator of the pump. When the rotor 34 is turned within passage 36 pockets or interstices 40, as they are sometimes referred to, move downwardly and transfer material from the inlet chamber 42 to the discharge 44 of the pump. The, pumping action is set forth in de-' tail in US. .Patent No. 2,028,407 Gear Mechanism, patented January 21, 1936, and describes the manner in which a close fitting rotor of the class described is adapted to receive a flow of material either wholly liquid or partially liquid, i.e., pumpable slurries and the like, and will translate such material longitudinally ofthe rotor 34.

Material is supplied to the chamber 42 by means of an inlet conduit 46 to the pump having an open end 48 with notches 50, the end 48 being located well below the surface of the material so that suction which develops within the chamber 42 will cause material to flow upwardly in the conduit 46 and will substantially empty the contents of the container 10 because the end 48 is in cl'oseproximity to the bottom 52. The notches 50 provide that material can flow into the conduit with greater facility. At the upper end of the conduit 46 is an elbow 54 which terminates at theinlet chamber '42 and can include for some applications a supply line 56 with an air valve 58 which can introduce through inlet 60 a stream of air which is combined with the flow of material in conduit 46 and eifects mixing and hence uniformity of product in the case of paint andthe like.

The pump discharges into a pump discharge conduit 62 having a half round connection 63, a T 64, and line 66 which includes a spring-loaded ball valve 68 which serves as a pressure limiting means defining the maximum outlet pressure of the pump. The spring 70 can be adjusted by a screw 72 to regulate the pump pressure. The T 64 also connects with a conduit 74 which is supported through a plate 76 secured to conduit 62, the plate 76 also serving to support conduit 46.

There may be included, if desired, a pressure gage 77 and shutoff valve 78, and a strainer 80 in; the case of materials which are essentially entirely liquid. The material then passes through a flexible conduit 82 terminating in a nozzle 84 which is held by the operator who directs the flow of material under pressure from the con tainer 10 onto aselected surface or other location.

Operation In operation, the apparatus 12 is inserted in position through the top of the container 10 and is clamped in place to hold the apparatus against movement. It is not necessary that a seal be formed between flange 14 and lip 20 of the can. The motor 28 is then caused to operate at a speed which develops a pumping action by the rotor 34 appropriate to the material contained within container 10 and comprised of paint, cement, plaster, plastics, lubricating oil, crude oil, molasses or soap to mention a few of the representative materials which can be pumped by the present invention.

The rotor 34 turning within the stator 38 generates a series of pockets or interstices 49 which move downwardly in the drawing, and carry a charge of material through the resilient stator 38 from chamber 42 to discharge 44 where the material is impelled under pressure through conduits 62 and 74 at a pressure determined in maximum value by ball valve 68, to a hose 82 and nozzle 84 where it is directed to a desired location. This maximum pressure, while variable, consists typically of about 400 to 500 p.s.i.

In the case of paint, where it is desired to increase the mixing action on the paint during pumping, the valve 58 is opened to provide a stream of air which is mixed at the elbow 54 with the flow of paint rising in conduit 46 and Obtained through inlet 48. It has been observed that air bubbles will be compressed by the rotor 34 in the sleeve 38 so that when the nozzle 84 is opened the compressed air will have a tendency to explode or atomize the paint, thus giving a more smooth or even application of paint to the object.

The discharge pressure on the material can be varied by increasing or decreasing the output of the motor 28 to regulate the rotational speed of the rotor 34, while at the same time regulating the rate of spring 70 by the screw 72 so that the ball valve 68 will set the upper limit of pressure which is desired. When it is desired to terminate operation, the hand operated shut-off valve 78 is turned to close off the discharge of material from nozzle 84 and the motor 28 is then deactuated.

One of the reasons that the pump is capable of delivering a wide variety of materials is that solids as well as liquids can be trapped within the pockets 40 and impelled downwardly without producing injury to the pump rotor and stator and without producing any substantial physical change of the material being pumped. The present invention is capable of handling any pumpable or fiowable material whether it be wholly liquid, or only partially liquid. In fact, the material need not be liquid, as in the case of cement which is an aggregate of flowable material.

The rotor 34 during operation tends to nutate within its complementary helical passage defined by the stator 38 and this motion is permitted by the universal or flexible joint 32 between the motor 28 and drive shaft 30 which connects with the rotor 34.

Although the present invention has been illustrated and described in connection with a single example embodiment, it will be understood that this is illustrative of the invention and is by no means restrictive thereof. It is to be expected that those skilled in this art can make revi- "sions and changes to suit individual design requirements and it is intended that those changes which incorporate the disclosed principles will be included within the scope of the following claims as equivalents of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a system for supplying fiowable materials, a dispensing apparatus comprising:

(a) a sealed container for receiving a quantity of such material in fiowable condition;

(b) a pump inlet conduit having an end extending below the surface of the material in the container;

() a pump provided with a resilient stator unit having a double screw helical passage which is operatively connected to said pump inlet conduit;

(d) a helical rotor fitting closely but adapted for rotation within said stator unit to effect displacement of the material under pressure at the discharge end of said stator unit and suction on said material at the inlet end of the stator unit;

(e) discharge means for receiving a flow of said material under pressure and directing it over a selected area;

(f) motor means for supplying rotatable driving force to said rotor; and

(g) an air inlet passage smaller in diameter than the pump inlet conduit connected to said pump inlet conduit, said inlet passage having an air inlet valve for controlling the mixing of air with the flow of material in said pump inlet conduit so that the material will be atomized as it is being directed by a nozzle discharge means over a selected area.

2. In a system for supplying fiowable materials, a dispensing apparatus comprising:

(a) a sealed container for receiving a quantity of such material in flowable condition;

(b) a pump inlet conduit having an end extending below the surface of the material in the container, said pump inlet conduit having an air inlet passage smaller in diameter than the pump inlet conduit connected thereto, said air inlet passage having an air inlet valve for controlling the amount of air to said pump inlet conduit;

(c) a pump provided with a resilient stator unit having a double screw helical passage which is operatively connected to said supply conduit;

(d) a helical rotor fitting closely but adapted for rotation within said stator unit to effect displacement of the material and air under pressure at the discharge end of said stator unit and suction on said material at the inlet end of the stator unit;

(e) nozzle discharge means for receiving a flow of said material and air under pressure from said pump and directing it over a selected area wherein the compressed air will expand to provide a smooth application of the material over the selected area;

(f) motor means for supplying rotatable driving force to said rotor;

(g) relief valve means for fixing the upper limit of discharge pressure in said discharge means; and (h) adjuster means for regulating said valve means to provide a discharge pressure of a predetermined value.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,634,885 4/1953 North 222385 X 2,640,421 6/1953 Lindberg.

2,714,393 8/1955 Hollinger.

2,846,123 8/1958 Gray 222333 X 2,874,534 2/1959 Canazzi.

LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

ERNEST A, FALLER, EVERETT W. KIRBY,

Examiners. 

1. IN A SYSTEM FOR SUPPLYING FLOWABLE MATERIALS, A DISPENSING APPARATUS COMPRISING: (A) A SEALED CONTAINER FOR RECEIVING A QUANTITY OF SUCH MATERIAL IN FLOWABLE CONDITION; (B) A PUMP INLET CONDUIT HAVING AN END EXTENDING BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE MATERIAL IN THE CONTAINER; (C) A PUMP PROVIDED WITH A RESILIENT STATOR UNIT HAVING A DOUBLE SCREW HELICAL PASSAGE WHICH IS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID TO PUMP INLET CONDUIT; (D) A HELICAL ROTOR FITTING CLOSELY BUT ADAPTED FOR ROTATION WITHIN SAID STATOR UNIT TO EFFECT DISPLACEMENT OF THE MATERIAL UNDER PRESSURE AT THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID STATOR UNIT AND SUCTION ON SAID MATERIAL AT THE INLET END OF THE STATOR UNIT; (E) DISCHARGE MEANS FOR RECEIVING A FLOW OF SAID MATERIAL UNDER PRESSURE AND DIRECTING IT OVER A SELECTED AREA; (F) MOTOR MEANS FOR SUPPLYING ROTATABLE DRIVING FORCE TO SAID ROTOR; AND (G) AN AIR INLET PASSAGE SMALLER IN DIAMETER THAN THE PUMP INLET CONDUIT CONNECTED TO SAID PUMP INLET CONDUIT, SAID INLET PASSAGE HAVING AN AIR INLET VALVE FOR CONTROLLING THE MIXING OF AIR WITH THE FLOW OF MATERIAL IN SAID PUMP INLET CONDUIT SO THAT THE MATERIAL WILL BE ATOMIZED AS IT IS BEING DIRECTED BY A NOZZLE DISCHARGE MEANS OVER A SELECTED AREA. 